The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1887-07-03
THE STARS AND STRIPES.

EAkLf III lno SlIuSSic Aoi ~AuSA
lean independence the need OF
q national flag was insisted on by
Franklin. The result of a confer
ence on the subject was the reten-
ton of the Union Jack, represent
ing the still recognized sovereign
ity of England, but coupled with
thirteen stripes, alternate red and
white, emblematic of the union OF
the thirteen colonies, in place of
the royal ensign. This was the
snew striped flag" which was
hoisted in January. 1776.
The following theories of the
origin of these stripes have been
assigned: /. They were derived
from the national flag of the
Netherlands, which then and now
consisted of three equal horizontal
stripes, symbolic of the rise of the
Dutch republic from the union
at Utrecht. To the example of
Holland the American colonies
were indebted for the idea of fed
eral union, and emigrants from
Holland had planted the seeds of
civil and religious liberty and ed
ucation. 2. The army in 1775
was without uniform, the different
grades being only distinguished by
stripes of ribbons. The daily
sight of these, the only marks of
rank would naturally suggest the
same device for representing the
united colonies. 3. The stripes
from Washihgton's coat-of-a arms
may have suggested those for the
Gag. They were certainly one OF
the devices on the flag of the troop
Of light horse which accompanied
Washington to New York when
proceeding to assume the COM
mand of the army at Cambridge.
where they were first shown.
And it is thought that these afford
ed simple and inexpensive meth
cd of converting the red ensign Of
the mother country into a new flag
denoting the union Of the colonies
against ministerial oppression.
while they were unwilling to give
up their loyalty to the "king's
colors," which were retained on
the new ensign. 1t required the
addition of the "new constellation
to render the stripes significant,
and give a new poetic life and ma
tionsl character to the flag.
The origin of the stars has also
been disputed. The earliest sug-
gestion of the stars as a device,
previous to their adoption in 1777.
is found in the Massachusetts Spy
for March 10, 1774, in a song writ
ten to commemorate the massacre
at Boston. In a fight of fancy
the writer foretells the triumph oi
the American flag:
Array of bright glory now beams from
afar,
The American ensign now sparkles star
Which will shortly fame wide through
the Skies"
In June, 1777, the congress re-
solved that the flag of the thir teer
united colonies should be thirteen
stripes, alternate red and white;
and that the union should be thir.
teen stars, white, in a blue field,
representing a new constellation
The arms of Washington con.
tanned both stars and stripes, and
the device may be due to thi:
source. 1t may have been used
out of respect to the commander
in-chief. However, Washington
nowhere alludes to the connection
and none of his contemporaries
seem to have mentioned the fact
The blue ground has been derived
from the blue standard of the ole
Scottish covenanters. Beyond {
doubt the thirteen stripes and thir
teen stars were unfurled at the bat
tie Of Brandywine, September
1777, and at Germantown in Oc
tober; they witnessed the opera
tions against and the surrender o
Burgoyne after the battle of Sara
tnoro. and tho cinht of fho;r Ho<